Jack Wright

Jack Wright, 89, of Beaumont, went to his Heavenly home on Tuesday, October 1, 2024. He was born on November 4, 1934, in Voth, Texas, to Lola Lee Burns Wright and Benjamin Walter Wright. Jack founded Wright's Scrap Metal in 1968. He was a member of the YMBL, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, and Calvary Baptist Church.
Jack enjoyed sharing stories of his childhood and the simple life he experienced. He had an interesting childhood filled with lots of friends and family. Jack grew up in a government housing project called Multimax Village. Most people were pretty poor and got by on what they had. As youngsters, Jack and his friends sometimes skipped school to swim at Colliers Ferry. They would splash across the river, take a moment to enjoy the view on the other side, and then swim back. If he had caught us, he might have given us a quick reprimand, but it was a different time filled with carefree memories. Sports were a big part of Jack's life. He was a good athlete in junior high and high school, excelling in football, basketball, and track. He and his brother, Earl, enjoyed local notoriety as athletes and were deemed the "Wright Brothers." Jack developed a strong work ethic as a young boy. He started by milking cows on a dairy farm. He then took on the task of folding newspapers and eventually earned a promotion to deliver them. Later, he helped with milk deliveries in the mornings before heading off to high school.
Jack met the love of his life, Shirley Madole, in high school. They married in May 1956. Jack founded Wright's Scrap Metal Inc in 1968 and never looked back. Jack grew his business from a two-person operation to over thirty-five full-time associates. If you worked for Jack, you quickly became part of his family. While he might get mad or upset from time to time, those feelings were short-lived, and everything would be back to normal before you left for the day. Jack operated the business with the same mindset as he did everything else in his life: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12). He was honest, trustworthy, and dependable. Jack took great pride in building his business and in the fact that, over fifty-plus years, he got to work alongside his wife, two of their children, grandchildren, daughter-in-law, sons-in-law, his brother, and nephews.
Jack also enjoyed volunteering with the Young Men's Business League. During his fifty-plus years of service, he served on the YMBL board in 1974,1976-1980, Southeast Texas' Fair Chairman in 1977, and Key Man Club President in 1993, along with numerous other committees. Jack was a huge supporter of the YMBL Rodeo and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 1982, he began serving on the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo's Jefferson County Go Texan Committee. Jack found lifelong friends who became family through both of these organizations.
Jack loved God, family, sports, and a good meal. He took extra pleasure in becoming a grandfather even though no grandchild was allowed to call him that; he wanted to be known as "Jack." Jack had a unique, loving relationship with each of his six grandchildren. He would keep "Nilla Wafers" in his truck so he could always have one in his front pocket, enticing the babies to run to him first! He enjoyed teaching all the grandkids and great-grandkids to hold up their two index fingers side by side and say, "Me and Jack just like that"! He also was known as the magical "donut man." When you woke up on Saturday morning, a bag of donuts was waiting by your front door. Recently, while in the hospital, he "placed" his donut order in his sleep for his great-granddaughter, Lucy. He was a wonderful husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and mentor to all the young men he met. For the last ten years, Jack showed his love and devotion to Shirley as her health declined. Their sixty-eight-year marriage was full of faith, love, laughter, and family, a testament to the joy Jack found in his life. Over the years, Jack developed meaningful relationships with Shirley's caregivers-Tessa, Cynthia, Carolyn, Shirl, and Marilyn-who all cherished their time with him. The family deeply appreciates the love and care these wonderful women provided.
Survivors include his wife, Shirley Wright; children, Mel Wright and his wife, Neysa; Erin Madigan; and Whitney Black and her husband, Stacy; grandchildren, Ashley Norman and her husband, Andrew; Jonathan Wright and his wife, Andie; Reeves Madigan; Caden Madigan; Lauren Black; and Jackson Black; great-grandchildren, Henry Norman, Grant Norman, Lucy Wright, and Annie Wright; sisters-in-law, Pat Wright and Jane Wright; nephew, Harold Alvarez and his wife, Judy; and niece, Kathy Gobert and her husband, Kenny. He is preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Doug Wright, Bill Wright, Robert "Shorty" Wright, and Earl Wright; and sister, Mozelle Bailey.
Memorial contributions can be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 3650 Dowlen Road, Beaumont, Texas 77706, or Alzheimer's Association, 700 North Street, Suite M, Beaumont, Texas 77701.
A gathering of Mr. Wright's family and friends will be from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m., Friday, October 4, 2024, at Broussard's, 2000 McFaddin Avenue, Beaumont. His funeral service will be at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, October 5, 2024, at Broussard's, with his interment to follow at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Beaumont.